BUKIT MERTAJAM – Penang PKR veteran Johari Kassim has called on Undi18 voters to think carefully when casting their ballots on Saturday so as not to be overcome by emotions and misinformation about the current political situation.
Johari, who is contesting the Seberang Jaya state seat under the Pakatan Harapan banner, urged new voters to read up on current conditions in the country and to reflect carefully before marking their ballot papers.
Undi18 refers to voters who are newly registered with the Election Commission by the lowering of the formal voting age from 21 to 18.
“They cannot afford to make mistakes as it would mean at least five years of lackadaisical output from their elected representatives,” he said at a mega rally in Permatang Pauh, just before PKR president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim showed up to campaign.
Citing an example, Johari claimed that the present MPs from opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) prefer to remain in hiding rather than to serve their electorate.
This is because they cannot afford to meet the expectations of their voters, especially when they need to seek help from their rivals, who are in the national unity federal government, he added.
“Emotionally laden voting will ruin the voters. They (youth) need to be strategic and think twice before they vote.
“They should not be driven by any monetary inducement. Accept it if offered, but vote based on an analytical mind rather than raw emotions or blind loyalty.”
Most of the time, elected representatives need help and favour from the federal government, who have more resources compared to the state or local authorities.
He questioned how help can be dispensed quickly to an assemblyman to help voters in need if the federal side is a rival.
“It may come, but this may be much later than if both the state and federal government belong to the same political bloc,” he said.
Johari said that he is proud of Penang because, unlike other states, the majority of the young here can study, work and live with their families, while some have started their own families.
This is unlike young voters in Kelantan, many of whom need to rush back to places like Klang Valley or overseas after they have cast their ballots, as quality jobs are scarce in their home state.
“Here in Penang, there are ample jobs available in the services and manufacturing sectors, so much that workers from neighbouring states and even foreigners are coming in droves to regard Penang as their adopted home,” said Johari.
He also urged Penang voters not to emulate their Kelantan counterparts who are driven by emotions when voting such that the state is now relegated as among the poorest in the country.
Known as Abang Jo within the community circles here, Johari said that it is time for Penang to reap the benefits of becoming on the same side as the federal government, unlike the previous three terms when the state was with the opposition.
With a different federal side, the development pace in Penang was hampered, but now under the national unity government, it is time for the state to soar, he added. – The Vibes, August 6, 2023
